Sacrifices
by FMAgeek
Summary: Edward Elric has become widely known for his incredible talents.. But is has also made him a target. Edwards strong will won't allow him to give up, but if it means saving the ones he loves it is a sacrifice he has to make. Can Ed withstand whats in store for him long enough to be rescued by his friends and family? Or is this the end of the great Fullmetal Alchemist. EdXWinry
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: This is set during episode 46 of brotherhood "looming shadows" when Edward arrives back in Resembal and bumps into Winry. Thanks for all the favourites and reviews! I really appreciate it!

Chapter 1.

Edward knew what was going to happen, before it happened. In the split second he had to take action his golden eyes darted to Winry, filled with horror. Damn them for taking off his automail arm! If he had his arm he could just transmute a wall to shield them. From where he was now, he knew he could make it into the other room in time and be sheltered from the worst of it, but Winry would never make it. It only took him a fraction of a second to decide what to do next.

"Winry!" he screamed her name as he dived towards her, knocking them both to the ground. He heard a shocked gasp escape from her lips and felt her breath whoosh out of her as they fell against the hard wooden floor, Ed on top of her. He felt a stab of anger at himself for hurting her, but it was the only way.

BOOM!

With a cry Ed tried his best to cover Winry with as much of his body as he could. They were partially shielded by an overturned table but the heat still reached them, making Ed feel like all the moisture would be sucked from his body and he'd be cooked right there on the ground.

He pressed his face against Winry's feeling her shaking with fear underneath him. In any other circumstance Ed would be bright red with embarrassment at how close they were, his body pressed into hers, pinning her to the ground as flying bits of wood and shrapnel from the room flew around them.

It took a while for Ed to realise when it was over. Small fires had caught on the broken fragments of wood that surrounded them and his ears were ringing painfully from the blast. He could feel warm blood dripping from his ears.

He lay still, in too much shock to move yet. Winry stayed frozen beneath him.

Wait, Winry!

Ed tried to snap himself out of his shock so that he could make sure she was ok. He shook his head, irritated by the ringing in his ears. Gradually his senses began to return to him and he became aware of the small, fearful sobs that was coming from Winry.

"Winry are you alright!" he peered down at her, he was still on top of her, his bangs hanging down over her face as he tried to assess any damage.

"I… I'm okay… I think…" she stammered, staring into Ed's eyes, taking in the complete and utter concern that filled them. She tried to smile, to reassure him, but then she saw the blood.

"E… Ed! You're bleeding!" Ed frowned, finally noticing the sharp pain that was tearing through his back and left shoulder. He tried to shift off Winry slowly, but abruptly fell onto his right side, curling in on himself when the pain increased tenfold and temporarily incapacitated him.

"Aaarrrgh" he groaned, trying hard to push back the tears that the pain had summoned to his eyes.

Winry sat up quickly, flinching when she felt a few burns and cuts flare with pain at the movement, she ignored it though, they were nowhere near as bad as Ed's. She carefully manoeuvred herself around Ed, trying to get a better look at his back while trying not to touch him in case she knocked an injury.

Ed heard her concerned gasp as she took in his shredded back. There was a large piece of metal, that must have been blown off from the stove impaled in the side of his lower back. He had other small pieces stuck in his flesh as well, but compared to the jagged bit of metal they seemed meaningless. His black shirt was shredded, exposing his lean back muscles, which was becoming increasingly covered in blood as the multiple wounds bled.

Ed's flesh hand suddenly grabbed Winry's wrist, pulling her around to face him again. Winry's eyes filled with tears at the obvious pain and fear etched on his face. But not fear for himself she realised, fear for her.

"Listen Win, they're gonna be here any second to take me… I can't fight them like this and if you try anything they might kill you…"

"Ed…" Winry tried to stop him, having a bad feeling at where he was headed with his words.

"I want you to lie still, pretend that you're dead, don't draw any attention to yourself..."

Winry almost wished she had her wrench handy so she could hit him.

"You think I'm just gonna let them take you!"

Ed griped her hand tighter in his, his wide, golden eyes urging her to listen.

"Winry please, there's to many of them, even for you." He smiled a little as he said that part, an image of Winry fiercely brandishing her wrench flitting through his mind.

"The best way you can help me is to get out of here and find help. Go to the colonel and they can send out a search party and find me kay?"

His voice was strained, she could tell he was trying desperately to stay strong for her sake.

"Edward… please, there has to be another way!"

He just looked at her with sad eyes.

"Don't worry Win, those bastards can't break me." Winry felt her heart break, she felt like her whole world had been torn apart.

Noises in the distance alerted them that the men were on their way. Despite the immense pain it caused him both physically and emotionally, Edward pushed Winry down to the ground next to him. Letting go of her he reached around to his back and touched the large wound caused by the metal shrapnel, grimacing in pain as the movement caused another flair of agony to shoot through his body. Bringing his hand back to Winry he smeared his own blood over her face and arms, trying desperately to make her look more injured, anything to help her pass as dead. It was his only hope.

He smiled at her one last time, wishing he could kill those bastards for causing her beautiful blue eyes to be filled with so much distress and fear.

"Remember, just don't move and try not to look like you're breathing. It's gonna be okay Win." He rested his bloody palm on her cheek for a moment and then pulled away from her, dragging himself painfully away, hoping that the further he was from her, the less likely they'd be to noticed her.

Winry closed her eyes and willed herself to stop crying and shaking. She was going to get out of this so that she could save Ed. It was the only way.

"Over here!" came an annoyed voice. Multiple sets of loud foot steps made their way over to the two bloodied forms.

"Stupid runt. Should have just behaved like a good little boy, now look at the mess you've caused."

Ed snarled at the tall man looming over his damaged body.

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" It took all of Winry's will power to resist the urge to flinch when she heard a dull thud and a grunt of pain as someone kicked Ed in the side.

"It's your own fault kid. Shouldn't have tried to put up a fight. Looks like you got your girlfriend killed eh? Such a shame, I was looking forward to having some fun with her." Winry felt a boot roughly shove her, knocking her onto her back. She kept her face relaxed and her body limp, holding her breath and not daring to open her eyes.

"You fucking bastard, don't touch her, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Winry heard more grunts of pain as Ed was roughly grabbed by two men and lifted, causing his wounds to tear and flare with even more pain.

"She was innocent, she had nothing to do with this, I swear to god if it's the last thing I do I will kill every single one of you for this." His voice was weaker, strained with pain and grief. Winry knew he was acting but part of her also knew he really was mourning. He didn't believe he was going to see her again.

 _I'll save you Ed I promise. Please hang in there!_

The man who had touched Winry moved towards Edward, grabbing his golden braid roughly and yanking his head back, forcing Ed to look him in the eye.

"Oh yeah? And just how do you think you're gonna manage that runt?"

Ed growled and used every bit of strength he had left to lift his automail leg and land a solid kick on the bastard. He groaned through his teeth as pain shot through his body at the movement. It was worth it for the grunt of pain he got out of the bastard though.

"You little shit!" The man moved with lightning speed and punched Ed in the stomach, knocking the breathe from his small body. Winry violently flinched at the sound and Ed hoped that none of them had noticed. He coughed up blood and desperately tried to suck in some air.

"I've had just about enough of you kid. I think it's about time you had a little nap." Before Ed could respond, one of the thugs holding him smacked the back of his head hard and blackness enveloped him.

Winry remained still until the footsteps had receded from the room. She sucked in a large shaky breath, the tears that she had been holding back burst forth. She slowly crawled towards one of the broken windows and peaked over the splintered frame. Ed was slung over the shoulder of a burly man, his head bobbing with each step and blood still seeping from his shredded back. They had left the shrapnel impaled in his back. At least it would decrease the blood flow.

Winry shuddered; a horrible fear filled her heart as she imagined what those horrible men would do to her oldest and dearest friend. She suddenly felt overwhelmingly sick and knelt down, vomiting on the floor. She was alive because of Ed. She had to save him, even if it was the last thing she'd do.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: This chapter has been slightly edited, I didn't expect to get followers at all so I am trying to make more of an effort to make this the best read I can for you guys! Please feel free to continue giving constructive criticism, I take no offense – this is the first time I've ever posted any kind of story before after all! Enjoy guys! - Chapter 3 is almost ready to be published!

Chapter 2:

Pain. That was the first thing Edward became aware of. He felt like he was being ripped apart, every tiny movement inflicting a torrent of agony that spread though his body, consuming him. He just wanted to sleep. He just wanted to go to a place where the pain wouldn't bother him, but it seemed impossible. Every time he felt like he could control it, he was jolted violently and he was overwhelmed with agony once again. It was a never ending cycle, pain, numbness then more pain, Edward wondered if he was in hell. It was hours before something in him changed and awareness started to creep back into him, he almost fought it, not wanting to know what was happening to him, but something told him he needed to snap out of it.

The first thing he became aware of was that he was lying on his stomach, he shifted slightly, trying to roll onto his side, and that's when he suddenly remembered what the cause of the pain was, he could still feel the residual shrapnel embedded in his back and shuddered to think about the damage it would cause to put any more pressure on it, he decided it was probably best to stay on his stomach.

The next thing that became apparent was that the sudden, jerky movements that kept causing his wounds to flare with pain weren't coming from him. It was the ground underneath him. Edward gritted his teeth as he was jostled once again, aggravating his pain further, and then it finally dawned on him.

 _Not the ground… a car, or vehicle of some sort. I'm in a van or something._ He grimly wondered how long he'd been unconscious. How far away had these bastards taken him?

Murmuring voices soon interrupted his train of thought. He struggled to focus on them, cursing how difficult it was for him to focus on a few stupid words.

"… take care of his injuries… … … bleed to death … interrogation…"

Before he could even try to process the words the moving vehicle beneath him seemed to come to a stop. _Shit. This is all happening to fast!_ Ed cracked his eyelids open an inch, weary of making his consciousness known to his captors.

The door to the van was swung open, Edward scrunched up his eyes at the sudden light streaming in through the door and remained still, pretending to still be asleep. He felt a hand clamp around his flesh ankle and yank him towards the door. He couldn't stop the groan of pain that involuntarily left his lips as the movement renewed the pain in his back.

"Awake are we runt? Had a nice sleep?"

The cruel voice was filled with amusement as Ed was roughly thrown over a shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and feebly struggle against the iron grip that held him. It was useless, the immense pain the metal shard inflicted thwarted any attempt Ed made to escape. Even if he was able to get away from this pig headed bastard, there's no way he could get far in his condition. Especially without his automail arm and alchemy.

Ed tried not to let the futility of the situation damper his confidence. Winry was safe, that's all that mattered. He focused on keeping his body still – which was a difficult task due to the way the man lumbered about, jostling his body at every opportunity just for the amusement of hearing Ed cry out, the other thugs who had helped kidnap him walked behind them, snickering at Ed's obvious pain.

Too soon, the sunlight disappeared as the men walked into a large warehouse. They seemed to be in some remote area, completely deserted and completely unfamiliar to Edward.

Edward began to lose interest in his surroundings as he was carried further and further into the massive warehouse. He hung his head limply. Winry was safe. That was a massive victory. Ed smirked to himself at how he'd managed to fool the men. _Dumbasses._

His small moment of victory was short lived however. He was unceremoniously thrown down onto a cold metal table, his back facing up.

His chin smashed into the hard surface and he was almost prepared for the now familiar pain that flared up in his back. Almost.

He gritted his teeth, a low growl escaping his throat.

Rough hands grabbed his ankles and his only wrist, securing them to the table with thick leather straps.

Panic began to settle in as Edward frantically tried to pull himself free, escaping the horrible restriction suddenly becoming more important than coping with the pain. He knew that even if he wasn't restrained, due to his current state, he was completely vulnerable to whatever these men planned to do with him, but somehow being restrained made it worse. He couldn't stand it.

"Hold still you stupid runt, do you want this shit out of your back or not?" Edward froze, cold fear creeping through him as he realised what was about to happen. Before he could do anything else, he felt a warm hand press down on his back, holding him still, and then the large piece of metal was being pulled from his back. Edward screamed, increasing his efforts to escape. He could feel the warm blood flowing from the wound. Now he really wished he was still unconscious.

Ed flinched as he felt pressure against his wound. The man was pressing a rag over it, trying to stop the blood flow and Ed dimly remembered the broken conversation he had heard earlier. Something about an interrogation. Somehow Ed doubted it would be a pleasant experience. These bastards weren't done with him yet.

 _God dammit. I hope they at least leave my leg alone. Winry's gonna kill me._

He almost chuckled at the thought of Winry with a wrench. Maybe he should have let her fight these dumbasses, God knows her dreaded wrench was more than enough to scare the shit out of Ed.

Edward felt his consciousness slowly start to slip away, the pain, the blood loss and the exhaustion suddenly becoming too overwhelming. The last thing he heard was the cruel voice of the pig head who'd carried him here.

"You're going to pay for causing so much trouble."

Edward felt a slight twinge of fear at the threat in the mans voice before he once again drifted off into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: Here you go guys! Chapter 3! I have been taking into account all of your feedback and am trying my best to improve my writing for you guys. I didn't really have a plan with where this story was going but had an idea last night - every follow and every review is more motivation for me to keep going so thanks heaps guys!

\- for those that have been following from day 1, I have edited the previous 2 chapters very slightly, nothing huge, just altered a few sentences to make it flow a bit better. I also added an authors note in chapter 1 explaining that this story is set during episode 46 of brotherhood when Edward bumps into Winry in Resembal. Hope you enjoy!

This chapter is based before Edward is taken, the events leading up to the explosion in chapter 1. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3:

 _3 days ago..._

"Ed explain to me, what the hell is going on?" Winry looked down at Ed as he shrunk back into her desk chair. "And please, do tell me why you thought MY room was a suitable option to eat a fricken sandwich!" Ed flinched at the increasing anger in her tone, his eyes darted to her hands, her pockets, searching for any sign of the dreaded wrench. It was nowhere to be seen.

He gulped, the absence of the wrench giving him the courage he needed to speak. "Uh…" He could feel his cheeks warming up with embarrassment, he turned his face away, letting his bangs fall forward and hide his flushed cheeks.

"Well?" Edward could hear the impatience in her voice and decided he should probably give her an explanation soon or he'd have hell to pay.

"I need to lay low right now. Technically I'm a fugitive to the state and then there's the homunculi… Plus my arm could use a bit of maintenance… Especially if I'm gonna have to fight… So we came here…" He blurted the words out in a jumble, holding his his breath as he waited for the wrath of Winry's wrench.

He heard a soft sigh, tentatively; he peeked through his hair towards her. She flopped down onto her bed, suddenly looking exhausted.

"This is all really happening isn't it?" She whispered, her voice emotionless. "You're not gonna get hurt right? You're gonna beat the homunculi and you're going to get yours and Al's bodies back and then this whole mess will be over right?" Ed looked at her with sad eyes, wishing he could give her the reassurance she needed. "Winry… I'm gonna do everything I can… But maybe you should take granny and Denn and leave the country f…"

*WHACK* Ed was cut off mid sentence.

"OW! Winry! What the hell!" Winry was standing now brandishing her wrench with a look of pure rage on her face. Ed shrank back into his chair, he didn't know if he was more scared, or more amazed at how she'd seemingly conjured her wrench up out of thin air. Dammit, he needed to figure out where she was hiding that thing!

"I am not going to run away from my home, and you are not going to fail. You are going to beat the bad guys and come home to me with you're god damn bodies back to normal. AM I CLEAR!?" Her deadly calm voice reached an ear splitting screech.

Ed almost fell off the chair; Winry was inches from his face. He couldn't think of anything to say, he just stared at her dumbly. After several seconds of Ed cowering in his chair, the anger seemed to drain out of Winry as suddenly as it had appeared. "Please Ed."

He felt his heart clench at the sadness in her voice. He softened his tone, "You're right Win." She looked up at him, her huge eyes staring at him, filled with hope. "Al and I will be back before you know it… Have an apple pie waiting for us. Kay?"

She smiled. "It'll be the best apple pie you or Al have ever tasted."

 _A few hours later…_

Ed sprinted down the remote road, relying on the moonlight and his old faded memories to guide him. He heard the thundering footsteps behind him, the panting breathes of his pursuers, damn they were fast for their size!

"Ahh!" Ed yelped in surprise as another figure appeared in front of him, blocking his way. He skidded to a stop, he didn't have to glance back to know that the others were right behind him.

"Alright you bastards asked for it!" He clapped his hands together, and was amused to see a glint of fear in the eyes of the men that surrounded him. He slammed his hands into the ground, feeling the alchemic energy pulsing through him as he created numerous spikes out of the dirt, hitting all three of the men squarely in the chest, sending them flying. The alchemically hardened dirt hit them roughly enough to keep them down for the time being. Ed sauntered over to them confidently, smirking at the collective groans of pain he heard.

"You guys picked the wrong person to mess with." He said nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" Ed felt his heart sink as a cold voice pierced through his moment of victory. A thick, hairy arm wound itself around Ed's neck, squeezing his windpipe mercilessly. All plans of action flowed out of Ed as his ability to breathe was suddenly ripped away from him. He struggled frantically, clawing at the mans arm, desperately trying to suck in the precious air that his lungs were screaming for. His automail arm was grabbed by the mans free hand and pulled back at a horrible angle. If Ed could breathe he would probably scream. The man kept pulling the arm further and further back. Way further than it was supposed to go. There was a sickening crunch and the sound of metal tearing as Ed's arm was torn off. His vision blurred as the combined lack of air and searing pain that was throbbing through his now exposed nerves started to take over.

The arm around Ed's neck disappeared and he fell to the ground, heaving and coughing as his lungs sucked in the air it had been deprived of. There was a dull clank and a cold laugh as the man threw Ed's automail arm away into one of the nearby fields. "Stupid runt. You shouldn't let your guard down."

The other men had slowly gotten up, clutching their chests where they'd been hit, but grinning at down at Ed, looks of horrible amusement in their eyes as they stared down at the cornered boy. Ed glared at each of them, slowly moving his flesh hand underneath him where he'd fallen, drawing a transmutation circle in the dirt. He returned his glare to the man who had ripped off his arm. "And you shouldn't underestimate people." With that, Ed activated the transmutation circle, this time creating cages around the four men. "Damn brat!" The man who'd taken Ed's arm, the leader Ed guessed, pulled a gun out of nowhere aiming it at Ed's legs. "We were told not to kill you but that doesn't mean we can't hurt you!" Ed leaped out of the way, stumbling slightly due to the imbalance caused by his missing arm. And then he ran, faster than he thought possible, dodging and weaving, anything to make him a harder target as the man shot at him. He ducked into the trees that bordered the road, and keep running. Eventually he was out of range and he could hear the enraged yells of the men in the distance. He stopped for a second, allowing himself to catch his breath. _What the hell was that all about?!_

He pushed the thought out of his mind, storing it for later consideration. The pain in his arm was starting to bother him. He needed to get Winry to look at it. He cursed to himself furiously as he began the long walk back to the Rockbell's house. _I hope Winry can make me a new arm fast, I can't afford to be weak with the promised day so near. Damn bastards! If I wasn't short on time I'd go back there and show them who's_ really _boss! Dammit!_

"What the hell Edward!" Edward was almost too angry at the situation to flinch when Winry yelled at the sight of his missing arm. He wasted no time. His voice flat, he recounted what happened as quick as he could.

"Some guys jumped me out in the fields on my way back from town, ripped off my arm and threw it into some fields. I didn't have time to go get it, the bastards had guns."

Winry stopped short. "What did they want with you?" Edward could hear the concern creeping into her voice.

"I don't know. But that doesn't matter, the promised day is coming, me, Ling and the others need to get to central straight away, but I need an arm…" He looked at Winry expectantly. She groaned. "Aaah I should just keep a whole store of arms ready for you. Should have learnt by now."

"… So do you think you can have one ready soon?" Ed slowly scooted away from Winry as he spoke, anticipating violence, but she just sighed. "I can't make you a brand new arm quick enough. Do you remember where abouts the man threw your arm? If we can find it, I might be able to just fix any damage on that and your port. It shouldn't take me too long."

Edward frowned. He knew she was right, but he was weary of the thugs that jumped him still being around. "We'll wait until tomorrow when it's light and go search for it. I trapped those guys there but I don't think it will hold them long. There's a good chance they'll still be around."

"It's decided then. I will come and help you look, we'll have better luck with the two of us searching." Winry's tone was final, leaving no room for argument.

 _The next morning._

"Aaaaagh, are you _sure_ it was around here Edward?" Winry whined. They had been searching for hours. "Like I said the last 3 million times. You can see where I transmuted the earth on the road. It was definitely here!" Edward yelled, furious with their lack of progress. "Maybe someone took it?" Winry didn't really sound like she believed herself. The odds of someone coming out here between last night and now were slim.

"Looking for this?" Ed felt the hairs rise up on the back of his neck at the familiar voice. He felt his stomach clench with hatred as he turned to see the large man from the night before leaning casually on a tree, Ed's automail arm slung carelessly over his shoulder. "Winry _run!"_ He sprinted towards her, grabbing her arm with his flesh hand and pulling her along behind him. She gasped in confusion but followed him, keeping pace as best as she could. Her longer legs helped.

They ran through the fields, not looking back. The threat of the gun was the only thing on Ed's mind. He couldn't protect Winry without his automail arm, so their best bet was to get as far away as they could. After about 10 minutes of non-stop sprinting Winry was beginning to slow down. Edward quickly glanced behind them. There was no one there. He slowed to a stop and searched the surrounding area. He could make out a small house in the distance; it looked abandoned. Still holding onto Winry's arm, he started jogging towards it, keeping to trees whenever he could for cover. "Come on, we can hide in there." He panted, pointing towards the house. Winry nodded her agreement and they moved at a faster pace. Edward's gaze darted everywhere. _Where are the other bastards? Are they gonna try ambush me again?_

Once they reached the old, worn down house, Edward made Winry wait while he inspected the inside. The house was definitely abandoned. Dust covered the floors and furniture. The roof had caved in over the living room, the couches were torn and faded. He flinched every time a floorboard creaked under his weight. No one was in here. He went back to get Winry, with one last sweeping gaze over the surrounding countryside, they slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind them.

"I think we lost them a while back… Hopefully they won't find us here." Edward tried to keep his voice confident for Winry's sake. He silently cursed himself for allowing her to come along. He knew it was dangerous to go back to the ambush site so soon after it happened. But he was desperate. They walked through the small house, kicking up dust as they did.

"Do you smell that?" Winry asked absently, as she stepped towards the kitchen. Edward froze. _Gas._ "There must be a gas leak somewhere… Winry I think we'd better get out of here…" Edward was interrupted by a loud bang. Gunshot.

 _Shit! If those bullets cause a spark…_ Edward ducked out of site of the windows, yelling at Winry to do the same. They must have been spotted. Another loud bang sounded from the opposite side of the house, and then another, and another. Each shot came from a different direction. _They're letting us know they've got us surrounded._ Edward clenched his one hand into a fist. "dammit." He muttered.

"Ed?" Winry's voice drew Ed's attention away from the windows, just as another loud bang sounded. Glass shattered from the kitchen window, shards of glass flying everywhere. Ed leapt out of the way and time seemed to slow down. His heart was gripped with terror as he realised the direction the stray bullet was headed. It was headed straight towards the kitchen stove. If it hit metal, and caused a spark, that gas leak could become a major problem.

He knew what he had to do.

"Winry!" he screamed her name and dived towards her as the world erupted into chaos.

*** _Present time ***_

Edward lay on the cold metal table, drifting in and out of conciseness for what felt like days. He thoughts kept flashing back to the explosion, and the events that had led up to his current predicament. He thought of Winry, how she'd looked when he last saw her. Covered in his blood, scratches and bruises marring her skin, her lips trembling very slightly, giving away her fear and concern for Edward as he was taken away. He hoped she had gotten home safely.

He closed his eyes, letting himself drift back off to the black abyss that awaited him. He was so tired.


End file.
